Voyeurism in Music Videos

Voyeurism is the sexual interest in or practice of spying on people engaged in intimate behaviors, such as undressing, sexual activity, or other actions usually considered to be of a private nature. The voyeur does not normally interact directly with the subject of his/her interest, who is often unaware of being observed. The essence of voyeurism is the observing but may also involve the making of a secret photograph or video of the subject during an intimate activity.

Voyeurism in music videos is extremely common, it is exploited to attract target audiences (usually of the opposite sex). For example, female pop singers use close ups of their breasts, and other body parts just for the sake of attraction from their own audiences. Male performers usually show their mid shots, shirtless with six pack abs and crazy tattoos.

Andrew Goodwin's Theory: He argued that a female performer with often be objectified through the camera and editing will be done in a fragmented sequence. This emphasises the sexual image of the star. Male performers are however exploited within a music video to flatter their ego.

Example:

Rihanna- Pour It Up

 http://www.ytpak.com/watch?v=ehcVomMexkY

In this music video Rihanna exploits her body and uses voyeurism for attracting the male audience. Firstly, her body movements highlight the figure a lot. The provocative dance movements on the chair and then the pole dances leaves nothing to the imagination. The mid shots show Rihannas arching back and in return magnifies her bottom. All of these leave the male spectator with a lot of sexual gratification and pleasure.